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7 Surprising Benefits Of Self-Love

As Woody Allen famously said, "Don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love." And considering that up to 95 percent of men and 89 to 92 percent of women masturbate, it's probably safe to say that no one really needs much convincing to keep doing it. But if you'd like a hand giving yourself a hand, here's something to get you started:

2. Masturbation relieves cramps. Flying solo during that time of the month increases blood flow to the pelvic area, easing pain. The intensity of orgasm can also help — and it sure beats a hot water bottle.

3. Masturbation prevents prostate cancer. Toxins build up in the urogenital tract, leading to disease—but masturbation flushes those toxins out of the body, making men who ejaculate more than five times a week a third less likely to develop prostate cancer.

4. Masturbation alleviates urinary tract infections. Once you're tired of drinking all that cranberry juice, turn to the other cure for UTIs: masturbation. It helps flush out old bacteria from the cervix, giving UTI sufferers some much-needed relief.

5. Masturbation might relieve Restless Leg Syndrome symptoms. Researchers estimate that 10 percent of people suffer from RLS, a neurological disorder categorized by a constant urge to move the limbs, often causing leg pain, cramps, tingling, and itching. But there might be help in sight—a letter published in the medical journal Sleep Medicine reported on a patient who used sex and masturbation to relieve symptoms of RLS.

6. Masturbation boosts your immunity. Ejaculation releases the hormone cortisol. It's a stress hormone, but in small doses, it can help strengthen and maintain your immune system.

7. Masturbation makes sex better. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. "Sex therapists strongly recommend that women who have not had an orgasm begin by pleasuring themselves," according to registered sex therapist Judith Golden. "This puts them in touch with the genital pleasure that they like."

1. Coregasms:

More women (and even a few men) are having "spontaneous" orgasms at the gym, says Astroglide's Resident Sexologist Dr. Jess. It's possible that these surprising waves of pleasure are connected with contraction and release of pelvic floor muscles, but we still have lots to learn. Experienced coregasm-ers say that cycling/spinning, abdominal exercises and climbing poles are ropes can bring them to climax and offer an extra incentive to hit the gym.

2. Brain-gasms:

"These are relatively rare, but I’ve met two women who learned to think themselves off," says Dr. Jess. One combined fantasy with pelvic floor contractions and the other explained that she could use fantasy to reach orgasm with no physical stimulation whatsoever. Researchers are beginning to study this experience in the lab (using MRI technology), but it is unlikely that most women can themselves how to have a brain-gasm.

3. Sleep-gasms:

"These are among my favorite type of orgasm, as they require no emotional or physical effort whatsoever!" says Dr. Jess. You cannot control your "nocturnal emissions", but you may find that you are more likely to enjoy sex dreams that lead to orgasm when you fantasize before falling asleep.

4. Sneezegasms:

Orgasm is the reflexive release of muscle tension. A sneeze is a micro-expression and is very similar. It is best to focus on similarities between the sensations you experience after a sneeze and the way you feel after orgasm, says Patricia Johnson, co-author of Partners in Passion, Great Sex Made Simple, Tantra for Erotic Empowerment, and The Essence of Tantric Sexuality. It may take some practice.

5. Keglegasms:

"People often think of working the pubococcygeal muscles as nothing more than an exercise for strengthening the pelvic floor, but doing Kegels in a rhythm that mirrors your typical orgasm can be an excellent way to trigger one," says Johnson. When you are first learning to generate the response, it may be helpful to self-pleasure at the same time. With practice, you're likely to start experiencing intense pleasure hands-free.

6. Thoughtgasms:

Some people have the capacity to induce orgasm by thinking themselves off, but even in those who do not have this ability, thinking about orgasm activates some of the same brain regions as actually having one, says Mark Michaels, co-author of Partners in Passion, Great Sex Made Simple, Tantra for Erotic Empowerment, and The Essence of Tantric Sexuality. This highlights what is possible if you can make a concerted effort to create or reinforce pleasurable associations and more specifically erotic or orgasmic ones.

More women (and even a few men) are having "spontaneous" orgasms at the gym, says Astroglide's Resident Sexologist Dr. Jess. It's possible that these surprising waves of pleasure are connected with contraction and release of pelvic floor muscles, but we still have lots to learn. Experienced coregasm-ers say that cycling/spinning, abdominal exercises and climbing poles are ropes can bring them to climax and offer an extra incentive to hit the gym.